Fire-escape



No. 608,4I9.- I Patented Aug. 2, |898.

' S. P. BUCK &. C. L. MEAKER.

FIRE EscAPs. (Appumim' mea nm. as, 169e.)

(No Modal.)

AUNiTnDy 'STATES rines.

PATENT STERLING P. BUCK AND-CHARLES L. ME'AKER, OF ABILENE, TEXAS; SAID MEAKER ASSIGNOR TO IVILLIAM R. BUCK, OF FRONT ROYAL, VIRGINIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 608,419, dated. August 2, 1898.-

' Application filed March 23, 1896.

To all whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that we, STERLING P. BUCK and CHARLES L'.I MEAKER, citizens of the United States, residing at Abilene, in the county of Taylor and State of Texas, have invented a new and'useful Fire-Escape, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in -lire-escapes for saving the lives of persons who are endangered by burning buildings; and the objects of our improvements are to provide, first, a means of rapid descent from tall buildings; second, a means of descent not sufficiently rapid to endanger life or limbs; third, an appliance that is always in readi' ness; fourth, that is applicable to every iioor of abuilding at the same time; fifth, that may be transferred'from any side, end, or corner of a building to any other side, end, or corner; sixth, the transportation of which may be done by one person in a very short space of duration; seventh, on which from one to twenty (or more) persons may descend at once with equal safety; eighth, a fire-escape which is also a fire-alarm; ninth, a fire-escape which is also a scaling-ladder for firemen; tenth, which is also a hose-hoist for firemen; eleventh, which is fireproof and weatherproof; twelfth, which is simple, economical, and or namental. We attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated :in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective View of a building with a complete fire-escape attached and ready for service. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the part designated by B in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a hollow drum or cylinder which revolves inside of B in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a section of endless ladder ct in Fig. l; Fig. 5, a detail View taken from the extreme right-hand corner of B, above the line .fr w, in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a view of right-hand en d of B; Fig. 7, a left-hand end view of B.

A Similar letters refer to similar parts throughshaped clamps or couplings. (See Fig. 1i, in

Serial No. 584,575. (No model.)

which I/ are cables,G run gs,and F couplings.) Having first fitted the cables I of the ladder to the grooves D D in Fig. 3 so that the rungs G shall lie in the grooves c e, Fig.- 3, and having next suspended Fig. 3 within B by a shaft through its center at c, Fig. 3, thewhole is then suspended from a track G, (see Fig. 1,) so that itsweight shall rest on trolley-wheels F F. The cylinder H with wide iianges is then to be placed within the hanging ladder at the bottom for the double purposeof steadying the hanging structure and to obviate-any collision ofl the ascending and descending sides of the ladder. Having thus been suspended, it is ready for service, and those wishing to descend may reach from wind ows and, laying hold of one rung and standing on an other, may descend to the ground, their weight being the motive power. .To prevent the speed of descent from becoming too great, a governor I is provided, the same being fitted to governor-rod J, on the lower end of which is iitted a bevel-pinion P, gearing into the teeth of bevel-gear on one end of drum, Fig. 3. rod J is attached the governor I, comprising the two arms K L, pivoted at I, the two rods (See also Fig. 6.) At thetop of they they revolve, they are forced upward by their Y action against the wind, aided by centrifu gal force. Thus as the speed increases the fans rise higher and force the rods M M downward, imparting to N and hence to R a downward pressure, thus giving a downward pressure by means of a connecting-rod Q to the lever R, which, -having S as a fulcrum, imparts an upward lift to the end of a band T, which passes around a wheel U, which is made fast to thecylinder, Fig. 3, by thev shaft at c, thus connecting the governor with brakewheel U for regulating thev speed of descent.

To provide a means of quick transportation from window to window or from one side or part of a building to another, a track Gis attaehed to the wall of the building near the top, being supported by brackets V, Fig. 1,whieh are anchored into the wall and hold said track iirmly at a suitable distance from the wall. On this track the trolley-wheels are to rest and travel, being propelled by an endless wire rope w, which passes over the grooved pulleys a m, which are made fast with the wheels F F, so that by pulling down on the right or left side of the rope yw the hanging structure is moved, respectively, to the right or left.

For use as a sealing-ladder a wire P is attached to the end of the brake-lever R, so that it may be reached and governed by firemen or others on the ground. By pulling down on said wire 1) the brake is drawn on wheel \V, thus rendering the ladder stationary so long as the brake is drawn. Persons may then climb to the top, using it as an ordinary ladder.

For use as a hose-hoist the hose is attached to one side of ladder, say the ascending side, and the other side pulled down; or, what is better, let several persons climb to top of descending side and, the hose being attached to the ascending side, then turn loose the blake, andthe weight of the persons will cause their side to desend and the other to ascend, carrying with it the hose, where others may be waiting to receive it.

For service as a tire-alarm a bell Y is used. A notched wheel Z forms part of n?. Into the notches of; Z an escapement A/ oscillates, falling alternately into the notches in Z, causing a elapper B to vibrate and strike the bell Y, so that as the wheels F F traverse the track G the alarm is given. A similar arrangement is employed to sound an alarm by descending on the ladder, as follows: A notched wheel C is centered on the shaft J, causing a clapper m to vibrate by the same mechanism de scribed for ll and beth clappers striking the same bell, so that any manipulation of the structure produces an alarm.

v\Ve are aware that previous to our invention fire-escapes have been made having an endless ladder revolving over a wheel or wheels and suspended from a track supported by the outer wall of a building. XVe do not, therefore, broadly claim such a combination as our invention; but

What we do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a fire-escape the combination with an endless ladder of an upper cylinder supporting said ladder, a lower cylinder being supported by said ladder, a hanger supporting said upper cylinder, (said hanger also being a weather-shield) two grooved track-wheels supporting said hanger and weather-shield, a track attached to the wall of a building by connecting arms or brackets and arranged for said grooved track-wheels to travel thereon, an endless cable and two grooved pulleys combined for conveying the said track-wheels along the said track, of a large bevel-gear on one end of said top cylinder, a small bevelgear actuated by said large bevel-gear, a governor-rod through the center oi said small bevel-gear, a governor arranged at the top oi said governor-rod said governor having fans set at an angle to the axis of said governorrod, of a brake-wheel on the shaft of upper cylinder opposite to said large bevel-gear, a brake-band encircling said brake-wheel, a brake-lever (one end of which is attached te said brake-band and the other connected to the said governor), of a bell attached to one of the arms of said hanger, a elapper actuated by the escapement-wheel on said governor-rod to strike said bell, another elapper actuated by the escapement-whcel on one oi" the said grooved track-wheels to strike said bell, all substantially as specified for the purn poses stated.

STERLING l. BUCK. (/IIARLES L. Mlfh\. l{l llt.

\Vitnesscs:

R. O. JOUNs'ION, J. F. l'LmNnLL. 

